T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur's Indian Team Suffer 11 Run Loss to England

2023 T20 World Cup: The Indian women's cricket team were handed their first defeat of the tournament so far. 

(Photo: ICC)

The Indian women's cricket team were handed their first defeat of the 2023 T20 World Cup- a 11-run defeat to Australia in Saturday's Group 2 match at Gqeberha in South Africa.

England produced a superb bowling performance to successfully defend 151/7 and trump India in the 14th match of the tournament.

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bowl first. Nat Sciver-Brunt was the top-scorer for England with a 42-ball half century as the team posted 151/7.

Renuka Singh (5/15) picked up her career's first five wicket haul, in the process also becoming the first Indian cricketer to pick a fifer in a T20 World Cup match. 

Smriti Mandhana of India plays a shot during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group 2 match against Englandat St George's Park on February 18, 2023 in Gqeberha, South Africa.

Smriti Mandhana anchored India's chase, also scoring a half century, but fell in the 16th over to Sarah Glenn. India were 105/4 at that point.

The rate of scoring slowed through the middle overs as England's spinners took control of the game, with Sophie Ecclestone the stand-out bowler once again, picking up 1/14 from her four overs and strangling India's batters at a crucial point of the match.

Richa Ghosh's unbeaten 47 gave India a glimmer of hope but in the end, the team fell short by 11 runs.

India next play Ireland on Monday, 20 February and will now likely have to win that game to progress to the next round. A defeat would leave India vulnerable given their relatively low net run rate (0.205).

Should India win and Pakistan manage to beat both West Indies and England then it would come down to net run rate to decide who qualifies for the semis.